Adorned with smoke on my clothes

Lovelorn and nobody knows

Love thorns all over this rose

I'll pay the price, you won't

Everyone wants him, that was my crime

The wrong place at the right time

And I break down, then he's pulling me in

In a world of boys, he's a gentleman

Half awake

Taking your chance, it's a big mistake

I said, "It might blow up in your pretty face"

I'm not saying, "Do it anyway"

But you're going to

Got lovestruck, went straight to my head

Got lovesick all over my bed

Love to think you'll never forget

We'll pay the price, I guess

"Slut!" - Taylor Swift

…

Emily Prentiss was feeling lighter by the minute as the alcohol slipped into her system. The haze in the bar, at first seeming stuffy when they had walked in, now felt like a blanket surrounding her as she raced towards tipsy.

The Behavioral Analysis Unit just had a few long and difficult days of work and another case closed to show for it. Although, few on the team were up for celebrating. Only Derek Morgan was eager for a nightcap, the others opting to turn in. They would all be on the jet first thing in the morning to head back to Virginia.

The pair wasn't exactly unhappy to find themselves alone together. (Well, alone except for a few other weeknight barflies.) Not that they had ever admitted that to each other. But in each of their own heads, it was a question of impropriety, of looking too eager, of sending the wrong message… But the others had every opportunity to join, they reminded themselves. So Morgan and Prentiss sat in a bar in Carrollton, Texas filled to the brim with a thick haze and old country tunes. The bar had met all their requirements, given that there were only two: open late on a weeknight and right by their hotel.

Prentiss had joined the BAU roughly a year ago. She wasn't sure when it happened exactly but she had settled in comfortably with the team. Day by day, the new job jitters had lessened and she quit feeling the intense pressure to prove herself. They trusted her and she trusted them.

Morgan had quickly come to appreciate his partner in the field. He could learn to work with just about anyone but with Emily Prentiss, he thrived. They could communicate with ease, without lengthy explanations, with quick wit, or simply with body language and eye contact when that's all a tense situation with an unsub allowed for.

The pairing was a great one. So it stood to reason that they might wonder about more. What it would be like. If the other wondered the same thing. Or if they were just the two biggest flirts on the team and thus reading too much into it. Emily knew Derek didn't have trouble finding dates. Derek doubted Emily did but she managed to play things a little closer to the vest. But all of these thoughts weren't ever vocalized. At least, not yet, and not sober.

"Another round of whiskeys, please," Morgan said to the bartender.

Emily worked up her best imitation of Derek from earlier. "Okay but just one though," she said, exactly as he had replied when she asked the team to end the night with a drink.

"You making fun of me?"

"Maybe. Morgan, you always say just one and you never mean it," Emily said before draining the last drops of their first round.

"Hey, no profiling me." He had a lighthearted grin on his face.

"That's not profiling, that's observing. Profiling would be me speculating on why you do that. Oh! Like maybe you want to put off to Hotch that you barely drink so he sees you as extra responsible! Or maybe you don't want to let on how much fun you think I am to drink with."

Emily kidded with Derek, her beautiful smile causing him to take a beat before he could get out his weak reply. "Any what would be my ulterior motive there?"

"A promotion?" Emily shrugged.

"No, not with Hotch, with not letting you know what I think of you."

"Oh. Power dynamics? You don't want me to get an ego?"

"You're just making shit up," Derek said with a chuckle.

Emily laughed too. "I really am. No profiling after whiskey."

Derek nodded his thanks to the bartender as the two new drinks were placed in front of them.

"You really are good at this job though, Em. Are you enjoying it? One year down, right?"

She couldn't quite explain why hearing him shorten her name made her stomach flutter.

"Yeah, almost a year. It's great. Emotionally draining, but for important results. And I love this team."

"Good. I want you to stick around." Derek's eyes met hers and she felt another swoop.

On the night went with flirty comments, complimentary words, and first names spoken softly.

As they drank, their internal voices quieted. The voices that were usually telling them not to get too attached, not to wonder about something more, not to care more than what's appropriate for a colleague.

The space between them shrunk bit by bit. Leaning in, limbs drifting towards each other, body language mirroring one another.

"You ready to go to bed?" Derek asked. Emily gave her quiet agreement.

The question was quite obviously innocent, meant literally about sleeping. Separately. In their corresponding hotel rooms. Paid for by their employer, which happened to be funded by the taxpayer. But Emily couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to hear those words from Derek under different circumstances. Well she usually could help it and stop that thought train, but not in her current state.

Emily wobbled a bit climbing down from her barstool and Derek's arm found her waist to steady her. It was a natural reaction, simply a helpful one. But he enjoyed the feel of her body under his arm.

They made their walk across the dim parking lot quickly. Soon the hotel lobby fluorescents were working to mellow the charge between them. But it wasn't completely squashed. As the elevator crawled up one floor, they were both wondering if the other one was feeling the same pull.

"I'll walk you to your room," Derek said with a clearing of his throat.

"Thanks. It's 207."

They found her door, goodnights were said, and all too quickly it was closed with them on opposite sides. Emily didn't move for a minute, thinking, regretting, then reminding herself she was doing the right thing.

But maybe. A couple beats later she pulled it back open, ready to see his back as he walked away, possibly planning to call out to him.

Instead, Emily was startled to come face to face with Derek. He hadn't moved a step, the same emotions clearly written on his face. His chest heaved with a deep breath, his eyes locked with hers for a split second, then his lips were on hers.

You wouldn't be able to tell how much time the two had spent trying to avoid this. His hands held her face, hers crawled up his chest, grabbing at his shirt, moving up until it just wasn't enough and she had to wrap them around his strong shoulders.

Derek quickly kicked the door shut behind him, moving his way further into the room, his lips never leaving Emily's for more than a fraction of a second.

Emily was on fire with the feeling of him pressed against her. His hands traveled down her back, to her waist, her hips, and back again. They were losing their breath, the room filling with the sounds of gasping in air between kisses.

Derek trailed his lips down her jaw, settling on her neck for some time, enjoying the feeling of her chest heaving under his attention.

Emily could feel his arousal growing against her, further turning her on. She had to take this a step further, to show she was perfectly happy with where they were headed. Her fingertips moved to his hips, gently seeking skin, trailing up under the hem of his shirt. She gave the shirt a tug and he was happy to comply, revealing his crazy ripped torso. Emily wanted to learn every inch.

But first she moved to her own shirt's buttons to even the score.

"Let me," Derek said roughly, his fingers meeting hers, quickly working down the row of buttons.

Emily sighed and pressed herself to him, seeking another kiss.

"Is this a terrible idea?" Derek asked softly.

"Probably," Emily said breathily. "But I really don't want to stop."

"Me neither. You're not next door to anyone on the team are you?"

"I don't think," Emily replied. "Why? You worried you can't keep it down?"

"Baby, I'm worried for you. I'm going to have you screaming."

Emily let out an airy laugh and hoped she appeared confident. "Good."

Derek moved his hands to her shoulders underneath her shirt and gently pushed the unbuttoned garment down her arms and completely off. He wasted no time in unhooking her bra and laying her down on the bed. When his mouth kissed and sucked on her full breasts working his way towards her nipples, Emily melted.

The pair didn't have much patience left. Hands traveled below each others waists, unbuttoning, teasing, and exploring.

It wasn't long before Morgan was fishing a condom out of his wallet, which was not surprising to Emily. He's probably propositioned all the time, and it's probably usually by women he couldn't get fired for sleeping with. So Emily thought she better enjoy this while it lasted before they both came to their senses.

By the time Derek bent her over on the bed and pushed into her, she was desperate for it. He moaned, completely turned on by the feel of her and the way she was more than ready for him.

Emily gasped and moaned, loving the feeling of him pounding into her. When she came and her walls tightened around him, she brought him with her. Derek's deep and sexy groan was about enough to give her a second orgasm. Or maybe the first one never ended. She was floating.

"Em, you're incredible." Her gut twisted in the best way at his words and she wished she had been able to see his face during everything. Derek pulled out and they both continued to catch their breath.

Emily rolled over onto her back and stretched out on the bed. Her eyes followed his naked form, top to bottom, and marveled as he made his way to discard the condom.

"You like what you see?" Derek was headed back towards her, his eyes being just as greedy as they roamed over her lithe form sprawled on top of the covers. They were confident in this department, neither of them quick to seek the bedcovers for modesty.

Emily didn't answer his question with words. She just let him lift the covers and slide in. She crawled under beside him and settled in by his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. As she drifted off, she let out some unintelligible mumbles.

"Derek, I…" But that was all he heard before she drifted. He started to doze soon after, and while he did he thought of how much he enjoyed having her naked body pressed to his and vaguely wondered if she'd ever called him anything but Morgan before.